Colgate Gameday...

[Dcuse]

In spite of Joey's 4 & 5, Kyle went with Mason Kohn as his POTG.

14 GB,17-22 in FO, 1G and 2A. Not a bad choice.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

That's not a foul. That's assault:

 

[Powellfan]

 

[Dadarules]

Thanks for the link to the clips, that was nasty.

Maybe the replays on that link were too zoomed in as I didn’t see many SU teammates help escort Mule to the sideline while Colgate dudes were pushing him back.

Never seen a clothesline check like that only given a personal foul. Should’ve been tossed, imo.

That was an absolute dangerous scumbag play. I am shocked nobody on SU went at the Colgate guy. I guess it is the right thing to do but I can't see having a teammate taken out like that and not doing something. Again, better for the team to not cause SU penalties etc., just saying I wpuld expect something in response.

 

[ClvrUsrnm]

That was an absolute dangerous scumbag play. I am shocked nobody on SU went at the Colgate guy. I guess it is the right thing to do but I can't see having a teammate taken out like that and not doing something. Again, better for the team to not cause SU penalties etc., just saying I wpuld expect something in response.

Mule stood up for himself just fine without getting penalized. Then they put up 18 goals and intentionally called off the dogs at the end to prove they were the classy ones. Cuse wins big and Colgate gets remembered as being full of gutless punks. Victories all around, I’d say.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Didn't have a concussion at Princeton? Yeah if it's another ACL it's time to move on. Hopefully it's not and he can get back this yr.

Think it's unlikely he hangs it up, he has another year already and can get a med-rs for this year if he wants it. I suspect he will be back, at the very least I expect one of him and Rosa to be back next year.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Random thoughts

-Spallina is on one right now. Very composed and still has a flair for the dramatic. Probably could have had a few more goals tonight but season is still early. He’s exceeding very high expectations right now.
-Nice to see Hiltz and Thomson have breakout games after quiet debuts. Thomson reminded me of why I like him so much, he has such a unique skill set. Hiltz has maybe the purest shooting motion known to man.
-quiet days from English and Stevens. That’s okay. When this offense is at its best I think guys are trading off big games. Makes guarding this team that much more difficult.
-Leo might be my second favor player on offense right now. He looks like a totally different guy this season.
-Will coaches replace Kellogg for Birtwistle on man up when he’s back? Crazy to think the offense has looked this good and still has yet to add a potential 30 goal scorer to the mix.

-This was not a good faceoff group they faced tonight, but Kohn and Mullen continued to impress. Love having a fogo that can be a threat in transition. They will have stiffer tests but I think they’ll be able to hold their own against better fogos. Both are so strong and athletic.

-defense was not great tonight.
-groundballs. So many over run grounders. I know it was a frenetic game but players could have put an end to scoring opportunities if they just picked up the ball in front of them. Tyson Bomberry needs to come back as a volunteer coach and just teach this skill.
-clearing was horrendous. Not surprised as Colgate went blitzkrieg bop out there and SU had one day to prepare for it, but it was still totally unacceptable. That needs to be the main focus for the week going forward. Odierna is supposed to be a clearing whisperer, he needs to show that now.
-penalties are becoming a huge issue. This game lost its head a bit but I think they had five in the last game. That needs to stop. Can’t let teams like Hopkins or Virginia or Duke have 5-7 emo opportunities. Need to be smarter.
-third spot on close now seems open. Caccamo looked good in limited showing, he will grab a ton of passes out of thin air. I do worry about his one v one skills but you can’t have someone out there in this day and age ball watching with reckless abandon. Good on the coaches for making the change. I hope Caccamo starts vs Manhattan.
-tough break for Clary, that has to be so very frustrating. Fingers crossed it’s not what we fear. Ssdm was already a problem area (though I thought the unit did okay tonight) and to lose two rotation players is tough.

Not sure you can replace Kellogg on the man up unit at this point, that outside cannon is a weapon and one you want to have on the field. I know he's likely to be the guy moved but I think his value is to much. If the staff has to have Birtwistle on there the one guy I think you could move would be Thomson. Birtwistle is more of a scorer and I think would fit where Thomson tends to play in the man up better.

I was worried about penalties and turnovers via clearing issue against the 10 man and both were major issues again. My major concern is that this is now year 3 with both continuing to be an issue. I fear Gait teams are going to have the same issues with 10 man rides that Desko led teams seemed to chronically have issues with. Hopefully Odierna can get things under control because if he doesn't it ND and UNC might force 30 turnovers against us this year. I do like that we tried to one man clear a few times but the results were somewhat mixed. I like English a lot but man tonight was not his game. Not really involved offensively and it felt like he had 3 or 4turnovers trying to clear the ball. It's a bit concerning that after acknowledging the 10 man was a huge issue against Michigan a week ago and a disaster last year against UNC we still appear perplexed against a 10 man ride.

The D overall I thought was OK. Some issues as you noted scooping gbs that led to at least 2 or 3 goals and some bad O turnovers along with some bad penalties. I thought they were better on man down in the 2nd half and overall made Colgate work a lot harder after they struggled mightily times in the 2nd. That 3rd D spot is becoming an issue. Kol was pulled for Caccamo but unclear if he can be the long term answer there. Clock is ticking on moving Olexxo to close. Speaking of LSM, Wright was a bit up and down. A bad penalty and some bizarre passes trying to clear. He had one right in front of us against the 10 man that I still am unsure what he was thinking. Box score doesn't give him a TO but he definitely had at least one. Guy is uber talented and we don't see his talents on the wing with our fogos winning so many to themselves.

I Thought the SSDM's played pretty good. Unit seems to be better then last season but obviously hasn't been overly tested and obviously is down two back ups for the year. I wouldn't be surprised if SU moved another pole to SSDM to provide depth and clearly Titus is likely to bump up into the rotation. As for who they could move over I would suggest Schmitt or Puckhaber, neither is seeing the field much right now and both have the size and overall experience I think to make an impact. Wish the best for Clary, his injury will hurt.

Offensively thought the team was again excellent overall. Could have easily had 20+ if not for Gate goalie making some great stops and SU calling off the dogs early in the 4th. 4 fro 10 on the EMO (really 4 for 9) isn't great but SU hit 1 or 2 pipes and misses some looks they usually bury. I will say as much as I love the btb and other flare looks, sometimes I think we get a little to caught up in trying to make the highlight pass or shot versus just hammering it in. Still I don't have any concerns about the unit, though I do like Birtwistle swapping for Thomson playing that middle spot.

Michael Leo is becoming a star, he's really developed that outside shot and really needs to touch the ball a little bit more. His attack background makes him an upper level dodger and we can look to invert him if necessary. Really like what I am seeing from him. Thought Stevens again played well, make a lot of little plays that don't show up in the box score. 6 Gbs, 1 ct, 1 goal on 5 shots. Reminds me a lot of Abbott just not as fast. English had a tough game, 2 turnovers and could have been easily 3 or 4. Not worried about him, think he still is trying to find his spot in the offense. Like Wright, feels like he's gonna have a monster game or two in the future and will be key against teams like Maryland and Army. Thought Joey was great played within himself and at times was to unselfish. Has to watch the turnovers a bit but again dude had 9 pts and missed 2 or 3 shots he usually buries.

No 3rd mid line today and no Kellogg on the 2nd line that I recall. I like Hottle a lot but odd we wouldn't rotate Kellogg in with him especially with Wattle struggling with 2 turnovers and no pts. Hope Birtwistle is good to go for Manhattan, would like to see him work some rust off before Maryland. Hottle and Kellogg have very bright futures, you can see both are barely scrapping the surface.

Faceoffs have been a 180 from last year. Kohn has been as advertised, the Gate FOGO looked us last year at times, just no answers or honestly hope. Kohn looked like prime Ben Williams out there just winning the claim and popping it to himself over and over and over. My man John Mullen looked fantastic as well. Much like Mason he wins most to himself and the kid as a frosh is built like a lb. Future is bright there. If the staff thinks any of the backups have promise or have improved significantly since las year they should consider speaking to Richiusa or Fine or Gibbs about a RS because its hard to see any of them seeing the field and there is currently no FOGO committed for the 25 class (there is one for 24).

 

[Laxfanshutt]

Not sure you can replace Kellogg on the man up unit at this point, that outside cannon is a weapon and one you want to have on the field. I know he's likely to be the guy moved but I think his value is to much. If the staff has to have Birtwistle on there the one guy I think you could move would be Thomson. Birtwistle is more of a scorer and I think would fit where Thomson tends to play in the man up better.

I was worried about penalties and turnovers via clearing issue against the 10 man and both were major issues again. My major concern is that this is now year 3 with both continuing to be an issue. I fear Gait teams are going to have the same issues with 10 man rides that Desko led teams seemed to chronically have issues with. Hopefully Odierna can get things under control because if he doesn't it ND and UNC might force 30 turnovers against us this year. I do like that we tried to one man clear a few times but the results were somewhat mixed. I like English a lot but man tonight was not his game. Not really involved offensively and it felt like he had 3 or 4turnovers trying to clear the ball. It's a bit concerning that after acknowledging the 10 man was a huge issue against Michigan a week ago and a disaster last year against UNC we still appear perplexed against a 10 man ride.

The D overall I thought was OK. Some issues as you noted scooping gbs that led to at least 2 or 3 goals and some bad O turnovers along with some bad penalties. I thought they were better on man down in the 2nd half and overall made Colgate work a lot harder after they struggled mightily times in the 2nd. That 3rd D spot is becoming an issue. Kol was pulled for Caccamo but unclear if he can be the long term answer there. Clock is ticking on moving Olexxo to close. Speaking of LSM, Wright was a bit up and down. A bad penalty and some bizarre passes trying to clear. He had one right in front of us against the 10 man that I still am unsure what he was thinking. Box score doesn't give him a TO but he definitely had at least one. Guy is uber talented and we don't see his talents on the wing with our fogos winning so many to themselves.

I Thought the SSDM's played pretty good. Unit seems to be better then last season but obviously hasn't been overly tested and obviously is down two back ups for the year. I wouldn't be surprised if SU moved another pole to SSDM to provide depth and clearly Titus is likely to bump up into the rotation. As for who they could move over I would suggest Schmitt or Puckhaber, neither is seeing the field much right now and both have the size and overall experience I think to make an impact. Wish the best for Clary, his injury will hurt.

Offensively thought the team was again excellent overall. Could have easily had 20+ if not for Gate goalie making some great stops and SU calling off the dogs early in the 4th. 4 fro 10 on the EMO (really 4 for 9) isn't great but SU hit 1 or 2 pipes and misses some looks they usually bury. I will say as much as I love the btb and other flare looks, sometimes I think we get a little to caught up in trying to make the highlight pass or shot versus just hammering it in. Still I don't have any concerns about the unit, though I do like Birtwistle swapping for Thomson playing that middle spot.

Michael Leo is becoming a star, he's really developed that outside shot and really needs to touch the ball a little bit more. His attack background makes him an upper level dodger and we can look to invert him if necessary. Really like what I am seeing from him. Thought Stevens again played well, make a lot of little plays that don't show up in the box score. 6 Gbs, 1 ct, 1 goal on 5 shots. Reminds me a lot of Abbott just not as fast. English had a tough game, 2 turnovers and could have been easily 3 or 4. Not worried about him, think he still is trying to find his spot in the offense. Like Wright, feels like he's gonna have a monster game or two in the future and will be key against teams like Maryland and Army. Thought Joey was great played within himself and at times was to unselfish. Has to watch the turnovers a bit but again dude had 9 pts and missed 2 or 3 shots he usually buries.

No 3rd mid line today and no Kellogg on the 2nd line that I recall. I like Hottle a lot but odd we wouldn't rotate Kellogg in with him especially with Wattle struggling with 2 turnovers and no pts. Hope Birtwistle is good to go for Manhattan, would like to see him work some rust off before Maryland. Hottle and Kellogg have very bright futures, you can see both are barely scrapping the surface.

Faceoffs have been a 180 from last year. Kohn has been as advertised, the Gate FOGO looked us last year at times, just no answers or honestly hope. Kohn looked like prime Ben Williams out there just winning the claim and popping it to himself over and over and over. My man John Mullen looked fantastic as well. Much like Mason he wins most to himself and the kid as a frosh is built like a lb. Future is bright there. If the staff thinks any of the backups have promise or have improved significantly since las year they should consider speaking to Richiusa or Fine or Gibbs about a RS because its hard to see any of them seeing the field and there is currently no FOGO committed for the 25 class (there is one for 24).

Great read!!! As far as Birtwhistle I would rest him till Maryland.. if you don’t have to rush him back I wouldn’t against Manhattan

 

[ForCuseSake]

Not sure you can replace Kellogg on the man up unit at this point, that outside cannon is a weapon and one you want to have on the field. I know he's likely to be the guy moved but I think his value is to much. If the staff has to have Birtwistle on there the one guy I think you could move would be Thomson. Birtwistle is more of a scorer and I think would fit where Thomson tends to play in the man up better.

I was worried about penalties and turnovers via clearing issue against the 10 man and both were major issues again. My major concern is that this is now year 3 with both continuing to be an issue. I fear Gait teams are going to have the same issues with 10 man rides that Desko led teams seemed to chronically have issues with. Hopefully Odierna can get things under control because if he doesn't it ND and UNC might force 30 turnovers against us this year. I do like that we tried to one man clear a few times but the results were somewhat mixed. I like English a lot but man tonight was not his game. Not really involved offensively and it felt like he had 3 or 4turnovers trying to clear the ball. It's a bit concerning that after acknowledging the 10 man was a huge issue against Michigan a week ago and a disaster last year against UNC we still appear perplexed against a 10 man ride.

The D overall I thought was OK. Some issues as you noted scooping gbs that led to at least 2 or 3 goals and some bad O turnovers along with some bad penalties. I thought they were better on man down in the 2nd half and overall made Colgate work a lot harder after they struggled mightily times in the 2nd. That 3rd D spot is becoming an issue. Kol was pulled for Caccamo but unclear if he can be the long term answer there. Clock is ticking on moving Olexxo to close. Speaking of LSM, Wright was a bit up and down. A bad penalty and some bizarre passes trying to clear. He had one right in front of us against the 10 man that I still am unsure what he was thinking. Box score doesn't give him a TO but he definitely had at least one. Guy is uber talented and we don't see his talents on the wing with our fogos winning so many to themselves.

I Thought the SSDM's played pretty good. Unit seems to be better then last season but obviously hasn't been overly tested and obviously is down two back ups for the year. I wouldn't be surprised if SU moved another pole to SSDM to provide depth and clearly Titus is likely to bump up into the rotation. As for who they could move over I would suggest Schmitt or Puckhaber, neither is seeing the field much right now and both have the size and overall experience I think to make an impact. Wish the best for Clary, his injury will hurt.

Offensively thought the team was again excellent overall. Could have easily had 20+ if not for Gate goalie making some great stops and SU calling off the dogs early in the 4th. 4 fro 10 on the EMO (really 4 for 9) isn't great but SU hit 1 or 2 pipes and misses some looks they usually bury. I will say as much as I love the btb and other flare looks, sometimes I think we get a little to caught up in trying to make the highlight pass or shot versus just hammering it in. Still I don't have any concerns about the unit, though I do like Birtwistle swapping for Thomson playing that middle spot.

Michael Leo is becoming a star, he's really developed that outside shot and really needs to touch the ball a little bit more. His attack background makes him an upper level dodger and we can look to invert him if necessary. Really like what I am seeing from him. Thought Stevens again played well, make a lot of little plays that don't show up in the box score. 6 Gbs, 1 ct, 1 goal on 5 shots. Reminds me a lot of Abbott just not as fast. English had a tough game, 2 turnovers and could have been easily 3 or 4. Not worried about him, think he still is trying to find his spot in the offense. Like Wright, feels like he's gonna have a monster game or two in the future and will be key against teams like Maryland and Army. Thought Joey was great played within himself and at times was to unselfish. Has to watch the turnovers a bit but again dude had 9 pts and missed 2 or 3 shots he usually buries.

No 3rd mid line today and no Kellogg on the 2nd line that I recall. I like Hottle a lot but odd we wouldn't rotate Kellogg in with him especially with Wattle struggling with 2 turnovers and no pts. Hope Birtwistle is good to go for Manhattan, would like to see him work some rust off before Maryland. Hottle and Kellogg have very bright futures, you can see both are barely scrapping the surface.

Faceoffs have been a 180 from last year. Kohn has been as advertised, the Gate FOGO looked us last year at times, just no answers or honestly hope. Kohn looked like prime Ben Williams out there just winning the claim and popping it to himself over and over and over. My man John Mullen looked fantastic as well. Much like Mason he wins most to himself and the kid as a frosh is built like a lb. Future is bright there. If the staff thinks any of the backups have promise or have improved significantly since las year they should consider speaking to Richiusa or Fine or Gibbs about a RS because its hard to see any of them seeing the field and there is currently no FOGO committed for the 25 class (there is one for 24).

Are the struggles with the 10 man substitution related?

I read English did a few one-man clears so it may not account for all problems.

It drove me nuts last year watching the D middies sprint to the sideline while a 10 man ride mobbed Mark & the close D. (And also trying to clear up the bench sideline inviting confusion and courting chaos.)

I thought it might’ve been a Petro philosophy but sounds like Gary is over coaching it too.

Did they try any Attackmen crossing over midfield to offer an outlet to pressure?

It shouldn’t be THAT difficult.

 

[DoctahLexus]

Big stat of the day: Groundballs 58-27 Cuse. Of course that gets a boost from the face off x. But even in a groundball battle we would almost always come away with it. Stevens had so much hype coming in, but you can clearly see why. His impact on the wing or anywhere in the middle of the field is massive. 6 GBs on the day. His intensity in a gb battle is incredible to watch. Think it may be infectious too. Speed and athleticism are on a whole other level this season, between our guys on the wing and the total TANKS at the faceoff x. Even if their clamp was not elite (which it clearly is) they would both be fighting for FOGO mins with their intensity on gbs alone.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

Are the struggles with the 10 man substitution related?

I read English did a few one-man clears so it may not account for all problems.

It drove me nuts last year watching the D middies sprint to the sideline while a 10 man ride mobbed Mark & the close D. (And also trying to clear up the bench sideline inviting confusion and courting chaos.)

I thought it might’ve been a Petro philosophy but sounds like Gary is over coaching it too.

Did they try any Attackmen crossing over midfield to offer an outlet to pressure?

It shouldn’t be THAT difficult.

Are we making too much of it? There's a reason teams employ the ten man ride - they are difficult to clear against and cause turnovers. They can also lead to slam dunks, a few of which we generated. In the end, we had a better success rate than PSU did.

Sure it would be nice to be better against it and the clear needs to improve. But there are going to be turnovers (particularly in week 0/1), it is what it is.

 

[MaxFischer]

Are we making too much of it? There's a reason teams employ the ten man ride - they are difficult to clear against and cause turnovers. They can also lead to slam dunks, a few of which we generated. In the end, we had a better success rate than PSU did.

Sure it would be nice to be better against it and the clear needs to improve. But there are going to be turnovers (particularly in week 0/1), it is what it is.

Over reactions on this board? No that can't be it.

 

[ForCuseSake]

Are we making too much of it? There's a reason teams employ the ten man ride - they are difficult to clear against and cause turnovers. They can also lead to slam dunks, a few of which we generated. In the end, we had a better success rate than PSU did.

Sure it would be nice to be better against it and the clear needs to improve. But there are going to be turnovers (particularly in week 0/1), it is what it is.

I wasn't able to watch Vermont or Colgate this year so you may be correct in asking if too much is being made of it. My comments were based on last year's struggles so I'll save any additional criticism until I can watch a game or three.

I also didn't watch PSU/Colgate so I don't know how much to read into SU having more success than the team Colgate upset.

You're right that games 1 & 2 usually have enough sloppiness that may muddy the picture on how well the team handles the ride going forward.

I think teams try the 10 man against opponents that are more rigid or predictable in their personnel/substitution patterns. I was wondering (hoping) some of that predictability left with Petro.

 

[PhatOrange]

Both teams were running a 10 man ride against us. It's a ride that slows people down and creates turnovers. Hard to work on in practice when you don't run one.

It can be cleaned up (scouting can address where to attack it) but I'm not familiar with how many teams we play run a 10-man. It's definitely not something a team who doesn't run it is going to slap one together against us. They're not easy to teach/run so imo, you have to be committed to it as your base ride for it to be successful.

 

[CuseAlum87]

Are we making too much of it? There's a reason teams employ the ten man ride - they are difficult to clear against and cause turnovers. They can also lead to slam dunks, a few of which we generated. In the end, we had a better success rate than PSU did.

Sure it would be nice to be better against it and the clear needs to improve. But there are going to be turnovers (particularly in week 0/1), it is what it is.

Agreed. The only thing I would add is the continued attempts to clear up the substitution box side of the field needs to stop, it's an easy area for riding team to trap players.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Are we making too much of it? There's a reason teams employ the ten man ride - they are difficult to clear against and cause turnovers. They can also lead to slam dunks, a few of which we generated. In the end, we had a better success rate than PSU did.

Sure it would be nice to be better against it and the clear needs to improve. But there are going to be turnovers (particularly in week 0/1), it is what it is.

Team has had a track record of major struggles against the 10 man so no I don't think its an overreaction. If you go back to SU's last three matchups against the 10 man all have been major struggles (people forgot the debacle that the UNC first half was last year). Teams are gonna have turnovers against a 10 man it's inevitable, but it's concerning to me that despite acknowledging the 10 man has given us problems we didn't seem overly prepared for it with 20+ turnovers. The other issue is that as good as Gate is in the 10 man, they don't have (for the most part) elite level athletes out there. What's gonna happen when ND and UNC are running 4 and 5 stars around out there in a 10 man ( we know how it went against UNC last year).

I don't think it's an Achilles heal issue like say faceoffs were last year but again I think just brushing it off as early season rust would be a MAJOR mistake.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Both teams we're running a 10 man ride against us. It's a ride that slows people down and creates turnovers. Hard to work on in practice when you don't run one.

It can be cleaned up (scouting can address where to attack it) but I'm not familiar with how many teams we play run a 10-man. It's definitely not something a team who doesn't run it is going to slap one together against us. They're not easy to teach/run so imo, you have to be committed to it as your base ride for it to be successful.

Agreed it's not something SU will see a ton as you have to really know how to play it. Good example is Vermont, they tried a 10 man I think twice, neither time really worked and they scrapped it. UNC and ND both play 10 man rides as part of their schemes or UNC at least used to before Petro took over. I believe UVA has shown one at times in the past but if my memory serves me it's not really their MO. Maryland doesn't really run one either nor does Army (as far as I can remember).

 

[PhatOrange]

#9 horse collar tackled Mule

Should’ve been ejected.

I was reading the new bullets on HS rule changes/interpretations this season, it appears there will be more scrutiny on contact to the head/neck area. There's basically an asterisk that an 'excessively violent' violation (head area contact) can result in an ejection. I think what happened yesterday definitely towed the line of ejection.

 

[DoctahLexus]

One thing mentioned in the pregame but not yet in the aftermath - the FREAKING LIGHTS! Correct me if I am wrong, but last year I remember thinking the Dome looked oddly dark when the game started. That would be because we turned off the insanely bright white spotlights. This losing passes in the lights for sure did NOT happen all the time last year. They at least have more turned on this season. It even caused us to miss some routine passes. Mule lost a total bunny pass because of the lights, among others. Really hope they turn at least some of them off the rest of the way forward. The level of brightness is also unnecessary. Everyone in the crowd looks way uglier!

 

[Powellfan]

Anyone else think the team is off to a better start than you would have imagined? Our offense has to be one of the best in the nation. Excited to see what is possible against the elite programs. We have been burned before but it just seems like our offense is at times more polished than it has been since Randy Staats/Kevin Rice and company roamed the dome.

For the offense, yes it's better than I expected. For me, the team as a whole looks totally in synch with what March and Gait want to do. It doesn't matter who has the ball, you expect that player to make the right pass, or the right shot. There is no, "oh no player x has it". Anyone on the field can hurt the defense.
The best offenses I have watched in my time in lacrosse, were the 2022 Maryland team and the 2006 Virginia teams. Those teams made it look like when they passed the ball, they were shooting it. The ball hummed and was never in anyone's stick for more than a few seconds. SU has a lot to prove right now, their quality of competition is going to jump up light years, but I am at least reminded of the way those teams played when I watch SU. Not saying they are at that level at all, but you can tell they are playing the same style at least. Again, we'll see what happens when they run into the Terps in a few weeks.

Face-offs have been better than I expected, with a bit of a caveat. I don't think the competition has been very good at all, and I wouldn't be surprised if Vermont and Colgate finish the year with two of the lowest winning percentages in the country. That said, Kohn and Mullen have done about all you can from them. Biggest thing, they are confident with the ball in their stick. I expect both their percentages will go down over the next few weeks but I feel pretty good about them being a huge upgrade over what SU produced last season. Feels telling that the coaches haven't let any other of the four fogos on the roster take a single face-off.

Defense has been a little bit of a let down for me. I guess I am still seeing a lot of the same mistakes that have plagued this team the last few years. Dwan and Figuarias have looked solid which is good and I defininlty see an upgrade with them from what SU had last year. But there are still a lot of goals from broken plays, and the SSDMs really might ding us against better teams, especially down two rotation players. Kol falling asleep was really bad, though unlike the last few years it actually led to him being replaced. I have faith in Caccamo, but with so many long sticks on the roster I would think this shouldn't be such a difficult spot to have filled. Last thing is there is not a groundball hoover on the unit.

Overall I feel better about this team than when the season started, but there is still a lot to work on (clears, clears, clears). But it's still early and it's nice to have so much to be optimistic about.

 

[JDOrange]

Maybe my memory is off but from my recollection UNC and UVA regularly run 10 man. As Anish mentions "The Valkyrian Ride" for UVA too much. I don't think ND does nearly as much, but their attack unit really gets after it on the ride. Don't think Duke does either. It's a calculated risk these teams take, and usually once you burn them a few times or can break it reliably then teams will back off. I didn't think they handled it terribly but it's something you have to keep working on every week and develop countermeasures for each strategy that the opponent throws.

Getting the ball out and up quick on turnovers, having quick middies stay low or really work back to the ball, exchanging the backside attacker over the midline for a middie, or firing that long shot with backup, are some of the standard techniques to counter. I do think there were some bad reads of passes last night where an easier pass was there but a more difficult pass was attempted, or as others have mentioned the attempt at a one man clear through 3 defenders right in front of the box when there is plenty of time on the clock and a roll-back or cross field pass is there.

Had to catch this one on replay and it was a chaotic one. The ecstasy (1st Q) and agony (2nd Q) were something and made for an entertaining read of the game thread after the fact. I didn't think they played a great game by a long stretch yet were able to beat a scary opponent convincingly. That counts for something. This offense is going to give opponents PTSD. When they are on they are on. I do get concerned that sometimes there is a bit too much urgency to score right away, or to make flashy play when the easy play is right there. Definitely an off night from a shooting perspective (even with a few gems mixed in - Hiltz and Leo snipes, Kellogg cannon). Joey had 3-4 shots where he seemed to rush and not take the extra step or two for a better angle, but then buried one basically from GLE, so...Hiltz had a real nice scoring game but I worry about the turnovers with him. You could see the potential with Leo last year when he was starting to demand the LSM towards the end of the year. As others have noted he looks like a legit star this year.

Defense was much more of a mixed bag. Alot of unsettled goals for 'Gate, and the 2-3 head-scratchers that feel like they shouldn't happen with a high level D1 unit: No one defending the ball at X on a restart, Col inexplicably hanging out on crease to double when his man was adjacent to the ball and caught and ripped. I was firmly in the Olexxo at close camp and I suspect (hope) that we will see that sooner than later. I don't know if you can go against an ACC or Maryland (or Hop) attack unit without having your best 3 defensive players on the field at all times. Fig is as advertised. Has that John Lade look to him where he is a little on the small side but has fantastic foot/stick work and you just don't worry about his assignment, at least so far.

I've been impressed with the SSDM play so far through these two games. Rice looks stronger and faster, and Spallina has been impressive in the time he has gotten. Trujillo has held his own. Stevens looked a step slow for me in the times I saw him but could definitely hold his own in transition. Feel terrible for Clary if what we suspect is true, and it was a dirty play. I thought he could've been a good option this year, and I generally prefer someone moving from LSM or close to SSDM than an offensive player. Next up.

Couldn't be more impressed with the face-off unit so far. Some of those clean wins yesterday brought a tear to my eye. Will be a big step up starting with MD but keep us around 50% against the elite FOGO's and we will be in great shape. Can't be 20% in games against the ACC.

I think we all can be happy with the start so far, despite some moments of frustration. Get some rest, get some more work in against Manhattan, and roll into MD week with momentum. That will be a tremendous test and a great game. LGO.

 

[DoctahLexus]

Defense has been a little bit of a let down for me. I guess I am still seeing a lot of the same mistakes that have plagued this team the last few years. Dwan and Figuarias have looked solid which is good and I defininlty see an upgrade with them from what SU had last year. But there are still a lot of goals from broken plays, and the SSDMs really might ding us against better teams, especially down two rotation players. Kol falling asleep was really bad, though unlike the last few years it actually led to him being replaced. I have faith in Caccamo, but with so many long sticks on the roster I would think this shouldn't be such a difficult spot to have filled. Last thing is there is not a groundball hoover on the unit.

Good to see that Odierna is not entirely sunshine and roses with the players and was willing to go to the bench when a guy in the unit was screwing up. Caccamo looked good when he came in. Fresh legs can be a good thing too.

Think they have done an excellent job on gbs through two games so not sure I agree there.

 

[Laxfanshutt]

Good to see that Odierna is not entirely sunshine and roses with the players and was willing to go to the bench when a guy in the unit was screwing up. Caccamo looked good when he came in. Fresh legs can be a good thing too.

Think they have done an excellent job on gbs through two games so not sure I agree there.

I like Caccamo more than Kol .. he has an uncanny knack of getting his stick in the way of passes

 

[cuselaxss26]

totally random but watching the hopkins / denver game bout 20 mins in b haven’t seen aviles on field once. How he isn’t starter let alone not playing is beyond me. Also why he leave to not play (1game so far yes)? Same with hernandez left to n played in 2 games when was getting loads of time here . Was something just boggled my mind.